We made it to England's house without any incidents. Well, not any that included me. England seemed to sense somehow that Shadow wasn't just an ordinary cat. There were a few times where I had to step in before England got his face scratched off (he would never hurt a cat).

Everyone was very glad when we reached his house. I couldn't really see it well from inside the car, but when I got out, I instantly fell in love with it. It was a Victorian-style mansion, light green in color. Behind it were acres and acres of trees.

"Mon Dieu!" I whispered. "It's beautiful!"

"Bloody hell, that Frog's got you speaking his ruddy language!" England sighed, then grinned. "It is quite lovely, isn't it? I bet it's better than anything that wanker has in his country!"

I shook my head. Those two will never stop fighting. Of course, that's what makes them such good friends, even if neither of them would ever admit it.

Shadow took this distraction to race away and into the woods. England's eyes widened, and he took a step forwards.

"Hey, come back!"

He looked at me, confused by my nonchalance. "We should go after him. The woods are not a same place for domestic creatures."

I snickered. "He'll be fine. I would worry more about anything that tries to go after him. Besides, the trees are just wood."

"Well, alright then," he said after one more glance.

England grabbed my bags (made, of course, in France) and opened the door. It was obvious that he wasn't used to having a child in his house. He stood awkwardly while I looked around my new surroundings

The inside of the house was painted in different shades of whites, creams, and yellows. Altogether, it was very fancy. Britain led me up two flights of stairs until we reached my room.

"Well, here it is," he said uncomfortably.

It was light pink in color, walls decorated with cartoonish animals and flowers. It was obviously a girl's room, which didn't suit me all that well. I mean, I do like pink things and flowers, but I wouldn't want to be around that 24/7. It would get really annoying.

"Umm…thanks for setting this up, but do you have any rooms that aren't as…pink?"

Slowly, the tension in the room lessened, and the British nation laughed.

"It is quite ridiculous, isn't it? America came over and decided to 'help' since you're one of his citizens. I had to fix the door after he left."

We talked as he took me to a different room in the hallway. This one was much more suited to my tastes, being ocean blue with intricate green designs bordering the walls. It faced the forest, and there was a porch that overlooked a lovely garden. England cleared his throat behind me.

"So, what do you think?"

"I love it!"

He grinned. "This is one of my favorite rooms…" He trailed off, staring at something behind me. I whirled around and caught a quick flash of small transparent wings flitting out of sight. It was definitely not a bird, not with those wings. I had a deep suspicion of what I had just seen, but I wouldn't bet on it unless I had more proof.

I turned back to England, who was shaking his head.

"Something wrong?"

"What? Oh. Of course not!"

He was totally lying. I wasn't going to push him into telling me, though. I had a feeling that once he got used to me, he would eventually tell me everything. England seemed to notice this and gave a slight nod.

"Well, perhaps you'd like to join me for some afternoon tea?"

"Wow, is it that late already? I'd love some tea, thanks!"

He directed me to a patio that I had noticed from my window, and as I waited for him, a black fox emerged from the woods. I knew instantly who it was even before he jumped into my lap and curled up.

Hello, Shadow, I yipped. He hummed softly, eyes closing as I ran my hand through his silky fur. We stayed like that until England came out with a tray of teacups and scones. Needless to say, he was quite shocked to see what appeared to be a wild fox cuddled up to me. After staring for a few minutes, he shook his head and smirked.

"Maybe we're rubbing off on you!"

"Hmm?"

"Countries often have animal companions and aren't seen as threats to wild animals unless they're trying to hurt another country or the animal itself."

"I've always been like this."

He scratched his head. "Well, maybe you're just special."

England set the tea and scones down and sat down.

"Sugar?" He asked, pouring me a cup.

"Yes, please!" He laughed at my enthusiasm.

"You really are one of America's residents!"

"Did ya think I wasn't?"

"You talk with an accent, so I wondered if you were one of mine. You act just like him, though."

He trailed off, memories overcoming him. I stayed where I was, silent. It was best to let him reminisce. It's so annoying when you're having a thought and then somebody interrupts and it disappears. Eventually, the memory ended and he came back to the real world. He sighed.

"I apologize for that. Thank you for not saying anything."

"That's okay. I disappear into my own head a lot, too."

"I do believe that we will be friends. Oh! Try one of my scones!"

I stared down at a brown lump. I didn't want to be rude, and I also had to know exactly what was wrong with England's cooking in the first place in order to fix it. I picked it up gingerly and took a bite. My mouth exploded with a terrible flavor that I had only tasted once before, and I tried to keep my tea down.

"England, there's too much baking powder in these!"

"What do you mean 'baking powder'? I used baking soda. Besides, they taste absolutely fine!"

And now he was upset. Still, I wasn't one for hiding the truth, and the truth was that these scones were very incorrectly made.

"Dude, you're not supposed to use baking soda in baking unless there's an acidic ingredient in the recipe. Plus, it makes the product taste like it went through the laundry."

We finished our tea in silence. I guess the British nation wasn't too happy with how I had judged his creation. He was still polite, though, in a grumpy way. Once Shadow woke up, England filled a saucer with fruit tea for him to enjoy.

When we were done, my attention turned once again to the forest. Catching the direction of my gaze, his eyes turned guarded.

"Come on," he said, getting up. "It's getting late. You can explore tomorrow, but please don't go into the woods. Dinner will be ready in a while."

"Actually, I think I'll skip dinner!"

His eyes glinted dangerous. "Why?"

"I'm still tired from our trip here." I yawned, eyes closing. At this, England softened. He patted my head.

"Well, goodnight, then. Sleep well."

I went up the stairs, Shadow following me as a fox. Although I was tired, the real reason that I wanted to skip dinner was because my stomach was still trying to recover from the scone incident. I don't think I would be able to handle any more.

It confused me quite a bit. England (the actual landmass) was known for its culinary skills and food, and yet somehow, England (the personification) had managed to mutilate a perfectly simple recipe. Something was definitely wrong here.

I decided to think on it in the morning. I got into some nice pajamas that France had packed for me and got into a comfy bed. I felt pleasantly sleepy (apart from my stomach) and I clutched Shadow like a teddy bear - er, fox.

"Night, Shadow." I mumbled.

"Goodnight, little one."

Phew! 3 and a half pages right there! I am on a roll today! Thanks to all the people who commented and favorited. It seriously makes writing worth it, knowing that people are actually reading and enjoying my stories. What will Ruth find in the forest, if she goes? Will England find out Shadow's secret? Can the scones ever be fixed? Find out in the next chapters!